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Allied University
M27072 Cable

What is M27072?

M27072 cable is a special purpose mil-spec wire for use in protected installations. This includes racks and tunnels, inside buildings, trailers, or other military equipment.

It is an electrical multi-conductor, single shielded cable. (Note: M27072 cables featuring polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are not to be used for aerospace applications.) Conveniently, individual M27072 part numbers give a lot of information about the cables. Each number and letter symbolizes a characteristic, and if you understand how they’re broken down, you can make an educated decision about which M27072 cable is right for your application.

Here is what an M27072 part number can tell you:

  • Part Identification Number (PIN) and Specification Sheet Number— Each part number begins with “M27072” which means it is from the same family of cable and meets MIL-DTL-27072 standards. The number after the slash is the detail specific sheet number, also referred to as the “slant sheet.”
  • Basic Wire Size and Stranding— The first letter after the spec sheet number represents a specific combination of the gauge of the conductor, the number of strands, and the gauge of each strand that the basic wires, also called the “inners,” must comply with. There are 9 different letter possibilities: D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, and S. Gauges range from 12 AWG through 26 AWG.
  • Basic Wire Specification— The next letter determines the type of wire used as the cable’s inners. There are five different possibilities: A, B, D, E, and P, and each letter stands for a specific version of MIL-DTL-16878, SAE-AS22759, or NEMA HP3 wire.
  • Shield and Jacket Material— This letter identifies whether the cable is shielded and jacketed, and if so, what type of materials are used. (Note: The MIL-DTL-27072 specification refers to “undershield material” as the jacket. The outside layer of the cable is referred to as the sheath.) Shielded cables can feature round tinned copper or silver-coated copper shields, and jacketed cables are available in Polyamide or PVC.
  • Sheath Material— This letter determines what material the sheath, the outermost layer of this cable, is made from. There are four options: A – Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), B – Polyethylene (PE), D - Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), and E - Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).
  • Sheath Color— This final letter determines what color the sheath is, and if there are any stripes or bands on the wire. There are a total of 30 different possibilities for solid colors or color combinations.

Breakdown for M27072/76 FADA9:

  • M27072/76: general specification number, and detail specification number
  • F: The basic conductor size is 16 AWG, each conductor has 19 strands, and each strand is 29 AWG
  • A: The basic cable meets MIL-DTL-16878/17 military specifications.
  • D: Features a polyamide jacket and silver-coated copper shield
  • A: The sheath is made of Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
  • 9: This wire is white with no stripes or bands

Breaking down part numbers and looking at each characteristic can be extremely helpful when searching for the correct type of wire. To learn more, check out our large selection of MIL-DTL-27072 cables.

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